


The Tail of Keiko

by MissMouse1421



Series: Finding a Balance [6]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Bottom Uchiha Sasuke, Established Relationship, Finding a Balance Sequel, He doesn't get along with the cat, M/M, Naruto is Just Naruto, Pet Adoption, Sasuke is a crazy cat lady, Sexual Content, Top Uzumaki Naruto, are we surprised?, i can relate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-01
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-08-27 20:12:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8415082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MissMouse1421/pseuds/MissMouse1421
Summary: Sasuke decides it's time to add a new addition to the family. In Naruto's case, two is company, three's a crowd.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Update: I did a funny thing with the Sims for this chapter. If anyone is interested in a visual here's the link XD http://missmouse1421.tumblr.com/post/176575376981/because-i-love-my-fic-series-finding-a-balance-so
> 
> I feel absolutely terrible about how long it has taken me to get my act together. I am truly sorry to have kept you all waiting for so long. I finally managed to finish this chapter, and I'm hoping now I'll be able to fall into a routine again. But please don't get your hopes up for regular updating because I can't promise that. I can, however, promise you that no matter how long it may take, I have every intention of finishing this series. I can't even begin to imagine abandoning it. With that in mind, I hope you all enjoy this new chapter. :)
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything related to it. Alls I gots is my own plotsss
> 
> Oh, I almost forgot. Happy Halloween! I wish you all a safe and spooktacular evening!

"Naruto, I really think we should consider adopting."

This wasn't the first time Sasuke had brought this up, but it was the first time he was so direct about it. All week Sasuke had been dropping subtle hints regarding the subject of adoption. Naruto had been able to brush them off quite easily and eventually change the subject, but now that he was cornered at the breakfast table, he couldn't just up and leave. Sasuke's hands were folded in front of him on the table, giving off an 'all business' vibe as he waited for Naruto to finish his apple juice and respond.

"Sasuke, that's a big responsibility," Naruto sighed as he started to butter another piece of toast. "I mean, are you sure you're ready for that kind of commitment?"

Sasuke's eyes wandered wearily to his hands as Naruto took a large bite of his toast. "I know it won't always be easy... but I think it'll be good for us. It'll teach us some responsibility."

Naruto couldn't stop the smirk from appearing on his face. "Is that the pitch Itachi told you to give me?" The blond was almost positive that Sasuke had been in cahoots with his brother, and was most likely taking his advice on how to get Naruto to crack. Not that Sasuke needed any assistance in that endeavour. Naruto had been wearing down all week just because it was Sasuke and he wanted something. Naruto had an irrational desire to please people, especially his romantic partners, and Sasuke was no different. If anything, it was much worse.

Naruto knew he was going to cave eventually. But that didn't mean he was going to tell Sasuke. Not right away, at least. "Would it make a difference if I said I've always wanted one?" Sasuke sighed, bordering on a whine. Naruto frowned. _Yes._

"If you've always _wanted_ one then why didn't you _get_ one? _"_

"Because Itachi wouldn't let me. And Suigestu didn't even want _me_ here. Do you really think he would have let me get a cat too?" Sasuke's bitch face seemed so out of place on the Uchiha's features. Naruto had to cover his mouth for a second and fight back a smile before speaking again. He tried to come off as serious as possible even though he was already laughing on the inside. "I don't know Sasuke. You have to feed it, give it a place to sleep, make sure the environment is safe. And don't even get me started on potty training."

"With the age I'm interested in we won't have to worry about potty training. And I'll buy it a bed. _And_ if this place is safe enough for us, then I'm sure it'll be safe enough for one of them too." Naruto let out a long, exasperated sigh before meeting his boyfriend's determined gaze. _He's got it all figured out, huh._

"And you're sure you want a _cat_?" Naruto didn't even bother to try and hide the distaste in his voice. It's not that he had any particular vendetta against the feline species— he just thought of them as the lesser choice for a house pet. Naruto didn't understand cats at all. One second they're rubbing against you seeking out your attention, and the next they decide they hate you and try to scratch your eyes out. Most of Naruto's experiences with cats had a similar outcome to this scenario, and it had pretty much sworn him off of cats for life. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, his boyfriend had decided that he wanted one and he wasn't going to take no for an answer.

Naruto never pegged Sasuke as the animal lover type. He always just assumed that the Uchiha would find a pet to be a hindrance more than a loving companion. It was actually nice to see Sasuke so passionate about something, even if Naruto didn't totally agree with it. "Yes," Sasuke answered without hesitation.

Naruto grumbled to himself as he stood, grabbed his plate, and dropped it in the dishwasher. "I'd rather get a dog..." he mumbled, still trying to play up his bitterness. Although a part of him was completely serious. He _would_ rather have a dog, but he decided to choose his battles. And this just wasn't worth a battle.

"Naruto," Sasuke gently scolded him. Obviously he had made up his mind, and nothing, not even Naruto was going to change that. Well, Naruto could always threaten to get a tarantula in retaliation, but that was going too far, even for him. Not to mention a complete exaggeration to the situation. It's not like Sasuke was inviting a dangerous, wild animal into the apartment.

"Fine," the Uzumaki sighed in defeat as he spun around to lean against the counter and face his boyfriend. "Let's go buy a damn cat." Sasuke's face immediately lit up, seemingly by accident, because he quickly tried to cover it up with a professional looking nod, but Naruto knew him better than that. The man was showing great restraint as he tried to stand up and grab his wallet from the counter as casually as he could. Yeah. Seeing Sasuke this happy was infinitely more important than Naruto's reluctance to change a litter box every week.

The blond watched with an amused smirk as Sasuke speed walked into his bedroom, emerging again with a coat and his car keys. When Sasuke turned to Naruto with an expecting look on his face, Naruto couldn't help but get one last quip in before completely submitting. "Heh, I guess you do like pussy after all." It took Sasuke a few seconds to fully process what Naruto meant, and when he did, his giddy exterior warped into an expression of 'I am so done with your shit' in a matter of seconds.

"Remember how I said we were going to have this experience together?" Sasuke asked rhetorically before crossing his arms over his chest. "That's over now. You get no say. In fact, you don't even get to help me pick it out."

Naruto faked hurt with a pout as he followed Sasuke over to the front door. "I'm heartbroken. Really." Sasuke turned back around to glare at him again and was greeted by a teasing grin from his boyfriend. He felt like he should be annoyed with him, but Sasuke knew at the end of the day, Naruto wanted Sasuke to be happy and get what he wanted. He felt lucky, and he wanted Naruto to know how much this meant to him.

Sasuke eventually returned Naruto's smile and gently gripped his upper arm. "Thank you," he said sincerely, earnestly. _Thank you for trusting me._

Naruto breathed out a laugh and nodded before leaning over and opening the door for Sasuke. The Uchiha walked outside and made it down the stairs before he heard Naruto's voice yell at him from behind. "If you bring back something without hair I'll never forgive you!"

Sasuke smirked on the way to his car and shouted back without turning around. "No say!"

* * *

 

What Sasuke brought back definitely had hair. Very fine, silky black hair from head to toe, to be exact. Its eyes were an emerald green with gold speckles and its long, thin whiskers bordered a black nose. It wasn't that big, nor too small. Average, manageable, maybe even a little cute. But not nearly as cute as the repressed giddy expression on the Uchiha's face as he set down the newly bought cat carrier on the living room floor, and bent down to open the metal cage door. "Welcome to your new home, Keiko," Sasuke happily announced as the feline now known as Keiko hesitantly slinked out of the cage and took in the new surroundings.

Naruto lifted his eyebrow curiously. "Keiko?"

Sasuke nodded, his eyes still fixated on the cat who was now sniffing around the living room. "Yes, Keiko. She's 4 years old and completely litter box trained."

Naruto nodded absentmindedly as he, too, watched Keiko's every move. Definitely more critical than Sasuke was. "Why Keiko?" he asked.

Sasuke shrugged before kneeling down to pet Keiko behind the ears. She shied away from him at first and Sasuke backed off until she was comfortable enough to approach him. "I don't know," he eventually said, smiling when she started pushing into his hand for more attention. "She just looks like a Keiko."

Naruto eyed his boyfriend wearily just waiting for the affectionate head butts to turn into sharp teeth sinking into his skin. "Why a girl?" Sasuke turned to look at him then, his eyebrow raised questioningly. "I don't have the best track record with women," Naruto explained with a grimace.

Sasuke rolled his eyes comically before climbing back onto his feet and slipping past Naruto to get back to the front door. "Everything she needs is in the car. I'll be right back. Watch her." Sasuke said this over his shoulder before closing the door behind him.

Naruto let out a low sigh before looking down at Keiko who was now sitting pretty in front of him, staring as if she was waiting for him to make the first move. Naruto took the initiative and sat down on the carpet with his legs crossed underneath him. Keiko sat perfectly still, keeping her eyes on his every move. "Hey there," Naruto cooed, feeling weirdly nervous for some reason. "Aren't you a pretty kitty?" Naruto didn't know what he was expecting. Obviously the cat wasn't going to talk back to him, but the awkward silence that followed and her unnerving laser stare made Naruto cough self-consciously. "Okay, uh... Nice kitty?" Naruto hesitantly reached out his hand trying to mimic Sasuke's actions from earlier but Keiko suddenly hissed and bolted away from him, finding refuge underneath the dinner table. Naruto frowned and dropped his hand back into his lap feeling defeated. "Well that could have gone better," he grumbled sarcastically just as Sasuke came stumbling back into the house, arms filled with different cat appliances.

The Uchiha saw his boyfriend sitting on the floor and automatically started looking for Keiko. "Where is she?" he asked before setting down a bag of cat food on the kitchen counter. Still feeling bitter, Naruto passive-aggressively pointed to the table before standing up again and going to investigate all the new items Sasuke brought in. Toys, litter box, litter, cat nip, a bed, and a scratching post.

"You went over board." It wasn't a question.

Sasuke was already on the floor trying to coax Keiko back out into the open. "I only bought the essentials," he stated matter-of-factly. Naruto saw the corner of a receipt peaking out from one of the plastic bags. He decided it was in his best interest not to look.

"Alright. Well good luck with all of–" Naruto waved his hand around lazily, "–this. I'm going for a run."

"What?" Sasuke did a double take as if he didn't fully register what Naruto had said the first time.

Turning down the hall, Naruto looked over his shoulder and clarified, "A run. You know, exercise?"

"You can't leave now," Sasuke insisted before rising to his feet and meeting Naruto half way. "The first time we bring a new pet home is crucial. This is when we establish a bond with her. I picked her out and she's been with me in the car. You're a complete stranger. If you leave now, she might never warm up to you." Sasuke was dead serious, and although the Uchiha had probably spent hours researching this stuff and was probably right, Naruto couldn't help but think he was adorable for getting so worked up.

The blond cupped Sasuke's jaw and kissed him unexpectedly on the lips. Sasuke was just about to respond when Naruto suddenly pulled back. "Sasuke," Naruto began solemnly, his expression stoic. "We've had this animal for five minutes and you're already starting to sound like a crazy cat lady."

Sasuke pushed Naruto's hands away from his face as Naruto began to chuckle at his frustrated expression. "As a wise man once said; I'm passionate. Not crazy."

"Wise man? You mean your brother?"

"Shut up."

Naruto let out another laugh before leaving Sasuke alone to get acquainted with their new housemate. Maybe Sasuke _was_ being a little excessive, but he couldn't help it. Sasuke was excited. This was the first pet he's ever had. His parents never had the time to take on a pet and Itachi was weird around animals. Sasuke didn't think that he hated them. His brother just didn't know how to interact with them. Sasuke hoped Keiko would be an exception. Said cat had finally come out of hiding and was slowly approaching Sasuke with the caution of a deer tip toeing through the woods. Sasuke got as low to the ground as possible, flat on his stomach, and gently coaxed her over by rubbing his fingers together. "That's a good girl." Keiko finally reached his hand and rubbed against it, tickling the palm of his hand with her long whiskers. "Okay, Keiko. Let's get you settled." As if she was agreeing with him, Keiko began to loudly purr in response.

When Naruto came back from his run, a food and water dish were set up in the kitchen, a scratching post standing in the living room, litter box in the bathroom, and the cat bed at the end of the hallway. Toys were littered everywhere, and who knows how many cupboards Sasuke had stacked full of meat and kibble.

His boyfriend was currently sitting on the couch studying with headphones on. Keiko was curled up next to him. Not quite on him, but definitely sharing his cushion. When Naruto came in, Sasuke took off his headphones and greeted him. "I assume the bonding went well," Naruto commented before gesturing between the two of them.

Sasuke glanced down at Keiko and smiled at her sleeping form before looking back up at Naruto. "Jealous?" he teased.

Naruto scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right. I'm going for a shower." As an after thought, Naruto added, "Would you care to join me?"

"So I can slip and crack my head open on the tiles while you grope me from behind? I don't think so."

"It's always about sex with you, isn't it? I was merely offering out of concern for your hygiene."

Sasuke shook his head in light-hearted exasperation. "My hygiene is fine, thank you very much. Yours on the other hand..." Sasuke stared pointedly at the large pit stains on Naruto's grey shirt.

Naruto grinned in response. "I think it's only fair you offer me the same concern and make sure I come out squeaky clean. Preferably by joining me."

Sasuke was about to retort but Keiko suddenly stretched across his lap, effectively pinning him to the couch. The Uchiha smirked before looking at Naruto with fake remorse. "You know, I would, but it doesn't look like I can move. Sorry." Realizing he wasn't going to win this one, Naruto gave a cavalier shrug and moved on. It's not like she did it on purpose.

When bedtime arrived, Sasuke spent a good 10 minutes trying to get Keiko to stay in her own bed at the end of the hall. Every time Sasuke walked into his room, Keiko would jump up and follow him. Eventually the Uchiha had to run back into the room and close the door behind him to prevent her from coming after him. Naruto was already relaxing comfortably on the bed watching the whole debacle when Sasuke slid in beside him and told him to keep his mouth shut. Just as Naruto was starting to doze off, he heard a loud meowing coming from the other side of the door. Naruto leaned up on his elbows and glared at the furry feet peaking out from under the door. "Sasuke." Naruto nudged his boyfriend's shoulder.

Sasuke sighed into his pillow. "She's just nervous. Try to ignore her. She'll stop eventually."

meow

MEOW

**MEOW!**

"She's not stopping Sasuke."

"I can hear that Naruto."

Naruto fought down the urge to stick his tongue out at the back of Sasuke's head. _I knew we should have gotten a dog._ Just as Naruto was thinking this, Keiko stopped meowing and the apartment became silent once again. "See? Now go to sleep." Sasuke rolled on his side and tugged the blankets up over his shoulders before attempting to fall back asleep. Naruto rolled his eyes but eventually flopped down onto his back and closed his eyes. Their peace and quiet only lasted a minute or two before Keiko starting scratching at the door. Naruto groaned and slammed the nearest pillow over his head.

This was going to be a long night.

* * *

The next morning when Naruto got up to go to the bathroom, Keiko was still standing directly outside of the door. He stared the cat down as she looked up at him with piercing green eyes. "Were you sitting here all night?" he asked warily. Keiko blinked a few times before dashing past his feet and jumped up onto the bed where Sasuke was still sleeping soundly. She curled up into a ball by his feet but kept watch over Naruto as he shook his head and continued his trail to the bathroom.

When he came back Sasuke was awake and petting Keiko's back. Apparently she had fallen asleep. "Nice to know someone is getting some shut eye," Naruto grumbled tiredly before clumping back into his bedroom for a new pair of clothes. Keiko had kept him up all night with her constant whining. He had no idea how Sasuke managed to sleep through all of it. They probably should have just let her into the room with them. She seemed pretty comfortable there now. Even though Naruto wanted to establish some boundaries by keeping her bed out in the hall, he didn't think he would be able to handle another sleepless night. He wasn't as young as he used to be.

As the day went on, it became apparent to Naruto that Keiko had already chosen a favourite between the two of them. Spoiler alert: it wasn't Naruto. Whether or not it had anything to do with all of that 'bonding right off the bat' stuff Sasuke was talking about, he didn't really think much of it. Cats were unpredictable, regardless of their familiarity with humans. They weren't like dogs. They didn't just run up to complete strangers and declare them their best friend with a playful bark and a lick.

Naruto believed that cats will either love you or hate you. He didn't think there was much room for anything in between. Its not like Naruto was purposely trying to ignore her, or that he wanted nothing to do with her. Naruto loved animals, and he liked the idea of having to take care of another living, breathing thing with Sasuke; like they were a family. Sasuke was just more committed to getting on her good side. He fed her every meal, played with her whenever she showed any interest in the toys he had bought, and practically dropped everything to pet her when she showed him the slightest hint of affection. Naruto tried to butt in on these love fests ever so often, but Keiko either ignored him or just moved closer to Sasuke.

Naruto found it odd that she already seemed to have some kind of grudge against him. He didn't have much hope in finding the cause of the problem. It could have been the cologne he was wearing, the colour of his shirt, maybe even the sound of his voice. Whatever it was, Keiko steered clear of him for the entire day. She even moved away when Naruto came and sat down on the couch beside her! It was a clear sign of rejection. That one had stung a little.

That night, Naruto dragged Keiko's bed into Sasuke's room and made sure she was as comfortable as possible before settling down for the night. Instead of meowing for attention, Keiko was determined to sleep _on_ the bed and not beside it. Naruto counted 12 times that she jumped up on the bed and he had to swat her back down onto the floor. He had already compromised by letting her into the room with them. He had no intention of sharing the bed with her.

Unsurprisingly, Sasuke had nothing to say on the matter. Truthfully, he would have been just as happy to have her sleeping in the bed with them, but he figured Naruto had already made a big enough sacrifice by agreeing to share the responsibility of taking care of her. He didn't want to push his luck. Especially since the two of them weren't getting along yet.

By the third day, Keiko's hurtful, yet still harmless indifference started to take an aggressive turn. While Sasuke was in the kitchen scraping together some kind of lunch for the two of them, Naruto decided to tackle some of his chores and do a couple loads of laundry. He offered to do Sasuke's as well, so after collecting his own basket of dirty clothes in his bedroom, he covered the short distance to Sasuke's room. However, instead of entering the room, Naruto stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed Keiko sitting in the middle of the floor, conviently blocking Sasuke's laundry basket.

Having been officially challenged to a stand off, Naruto nodded to her in acknowledgment. "Keiko." Keiko sat perfectly still, showing no signs of moving anytime soon. "I'm just going to slowly squeeze by you." Naruto chanced taking a step into the room but Keiko immediately hissed and stood up in a defensive manner. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Naruto balanced the basket he was holding on his hip and raised his left hand in defence. "I'm just going to get his laundry and then I'll be gone. No one has to get hurt." It briefly crossed Naruto's mind how absurd it was that he was trying to negosiate with a cat, but then Keiko's eyes narrowed as if to glare at him and Naruto knew he was in for one hell of a fight. He glared back full force, refusing to back down.

Not 30 seconds later, Sasuke brushed past Naruto, picked up his laundry basket and shoved it into the blond's arms. Without so much as a glance, Sasuke exited his bedroom and headed back into the kitchen with Keiko proudly following after him. Naruto stood in the hall for a moment trying to convince himself that he wasn't crazy and Keiko really _was_ out to get him. Why is it that she only misbehaved when only Naruto was present? It's like she purposefully waits until Sasuke is out of the room to act like a psycho. And Sasuke... Sasuke was so in love with her that he couldn't even imagine his little angel doing anything wrong.

Keiko was bizarrely possessive when it came to Sasuke, and Naruto was starting to get sick of her hogging all the attention. Yes, Naruto was jealous of a cat. He didn't need anyone else to tell him how insane that was. He was perfectly aware.

* * *

Quiet moans and gasps fell from Sasuke's lips as Naruto pushed into him over and over again. Slow, gentle, making love. The blond had Sasuke's hands pinned above his head, their fingers laced together in a tender squeeze. Naruto kissed and nipped at Sasuke's neck, loving the low pitched whine that vibrated in the younger man's throat as he thrust into his sweet spot, pushing them both closer to the edge. Sasuke's ankles clung loosely around Naruto's lower back, holding him close enough so that his entire body was encaged by Naruto's. "Ah... uhn... N-Naruto. Close..." Sasuke warned in a breathy moan before freeing his hand from Naruto's grasp and wrapping it around his own erection, stroking himself closer and closer to his climax.

"Nnn... me too," Naruto grunted before leaning down to steal a long, deep kiss.

The quiet sound of their bedroom door slowly creaking open caught Naruto's attention and he quickly lifted his head to inspect the unexpected interruption. When Naruto's thrusts came to a standstill, Sasuke looked up at his lover curiously and asked, "What's wrong?" still flustered and uncomfortably close to finishing.

"It's watching us," Naruto whispered out of the corner of his mouth, his eyes wide in horror. Even more puzzled by his boyfriend's actions, Sasuke hesitantly stuck out his neck to see around Naruto's shoulder. There, in the middle of the threshold, Keiko sat stiffly with her long black tail wrapped tightly around her body. Her glaring green eyes seemed to bore into Naruto's as the blond slowly lifted himself up to balance on his out stretched arms.

Sasuke recognized that crazed look in Naruto's eyes that always seemed to appear when Keiko was nearby and quickly grabbed his face and redirected his attention back onto him. "Just ignore her," Sasuke instructed in a hushed voice before kissing him distractingly on the lips. Naruto kissed back, but he kept looking out of the corner of his eye, half expecting Keiko to be slowly slinking across the floor towards them.

"Naruto," Sasuke let out an exasperated huff of annoyance. "She's not doing anything. Just let her be."

"I'm too vulnerable like this. I don't want that thing anywhere near my dick." Naruto abruptly shifted his hips to pull himself out of his boyfriend, forcing a surprised yelp from the Uchiha.

"Nar-! W-wait-!"

Naruto stilled as he felt Sasuke tighten around him and gasp out a moan. The blond stared down at his boyfriend's stomach, his eyes widening when he saw the sticky white fluid pooling around Sasuke's bellybutton. Naruto glanced back up at his face inquiringly. "Did... did you just...?" Sasuke blushed red like one of his beloved tomatoes and covered his face with his clean hand, completely mortified. The corner of Naruto's mouth quirked into a perplexed smirk. "I didn't know you got off on being watched."

Keiko marched off with her tail flicking irritably behind her.

* * *

"I'm telling you Sasuke, she's out to get me!" Naruto exclaimed after cornering Sasuke in the living room one evening. Sasuke sat comfortably in his chair reading a book. His eyes never wandered from the page.

"She is not out to get you," he replied calmly.

"Yes she is! Every time I try to get close to you she hisses at me! We can't even have sex without her getting in the way!" Naruto insisted, waving his hands around animatedly to prove his point. "And yesterday she actually _bit_ _me_! Look! You can still see the teeth marks!"

"Okay, first of all, we should have shut the door entirely. So it's not really Keiko's fault. And secondly, she probably bit you because you did something to provoke her."

"I was giving her dinner! And then last night—did you even _notice_ her trying to push me off the bed? It's like she thinks _she_ owns _you_ and not the other way around! I'm getting in the way of her "quality time" with you and she wants blood!"

Releasing a long sigh, Sasuke marked his place in the book and gently placed it down on his lap before meeting Naruto's wild eyes. "She's a cat, Naruto. Not some revenge seeking huntress."

"How can you be so sure? She could just be some crazy old witch disguised as a cat! You don't know where she came from!" Naruto had gotten so worked up that Keiko ending up jumping onto Sasuke's lap as if to protect him. The blond flinched when Sasuke started petting her fur and Keiko purred lovingly in response.

"The only crazy one I'm seeing is standing right in front of me," Sasuke with a quiet chuckle, finding Naruto's accusations to be both absurd and entertaining at the same time. He told him to bond with her. This outcome was his own doing.

Naruto let out an aggravated huff before crossing his arms protectively over his chest when Keiko looked over at him. "Mark my words, Sasuke. One of these mornings you're going to wake up and find me covered in scratches with my throat slit. Then we'll see who's laughing."

Unable to ignore the opportunity to tease his boyfriend, Sasuke leaned his head down near Keiko's mouth and pretended to have a conversation with her. "What's that? Yes, Keiko, I agree. It's so sad when their minds start to go. I think we'll have to have him put down too." Naruto looked extremely irritated as Sasuke continued to provoke him by whispering into Keiko's ear and smirking as if she had said something clever in response.

"Unbelievable," Naruto grumbled before spinning on his heels and marching back down the hall. Sasuke heard him complaining until a door closed loudly behind him. "I'm losing my boyfriend to a cat... To a goddamn cat—"

Chuckling at Naruto's expense, Sasuke picked his book back up and absentmindedly asked Keiko, "You're not really trying to kill him, are you?" while rubbing his fingers through her fur. Keiko twisted her head around to look at Sasuke's face and meowed loud and clear as if answering his question. Startled, Sasuke peered over the top of his book and could have sworn Keiko was actually _smiling_ at him. For the sake of his own sanity, the Uchiha decided to ignore it and return to his book. She was just a cat. She wasn't capable of scheming…right?

Wrong. Keiko continued to torment Naruto relentlessly for the rest of the week. One day after returning home from school, Naruto found his posters on the wall ripped to shreds and all of his little knick knacks littered on his bedroom floor. For Naruto, it was an obvious declaration of war and confirmed what he had already known to be true. Keiko was specifically targeting him and turning his life into a living hell for no other reason than wanting all of Sasuke's attention. As part of an experiment, and to prove a point, Naruto grabbed Sasuke for a quick make out session directly in front of Keiko. He figured if he could get a rise out of her, Sasuke might actually believe him. Just as Naruto had suspected, Keiko started meowing and rubbing against Sasuke's leg in protest. Naruto excitedly declared "I told you so!" as Sasuke bent down to pick her up.

"Instead of making wild accusations why don't you actually try and make peace with her. This little lady's not going anywhere," Sasuke declared with affection while nuzzling his girl.

"And I AM?!" Naruto hollered at Sasuke's back as he disappeared into his bedroom, shaking his head and chuckling at his boyfriend's paranoia.

That night Naruto ordered that they sleep in his room, somehow thinking that it would deter Keiko from wanting on the bed. His plan back fired, obviously, when Naruto woke up and found Keiko curled up in Sasuke's arms sound asleep. Naruto didn't know how, but the little fur ball had managed to sneak onto the bed with them completely undetected. Sasuke unconsciously nuzzled his nose into Keiko's warm fur and almost had the hint of a smile on his lips before falling still once again. Naruto felt his heart ache with affection and could have almost called the scene cute if he wasn't so hell bent on winning Sasuke over from the she-devil, who had now inexplicably made her way into their bed. Now that she was here, Naruto saw no point in trying to fight it. Letting out a quiet sigh, Naruto nestled back down into the blankets and drifted off back to sleep.

* * *

 

The next day Sasuke texted his brother an invitation to come over for afternoon tea and a visit, but the younger Uchiha had ulterior motives. He was excited for Itachi to meet Keiko, and more than a little curious to see how Keiko would react to a new face. Besides Naruto and himself, she had no contact with other humans. It was a little discouraging knowing how she had an aversion to Naruto, but Sasuke remained hopefully optimistic that she would at least be perceptive to Itachi's presence. He'd be lying if he said he wouldn't be disappointed if things went the other way.

The knock on the front door immediately peaked Keiko's interest as Sasuke hurried to unlock the door and let his brother in. Although clearly interested in their new guest, Keiko kept her distance of a few feet, allowing Itachi to sit at the kitchen table and give the cat a good look over. For some reason, Itachi's visual examination made Sasuke nervous. "She's still getting used to people. I'm sure she'll warm up to you eventually. …Maybe."

Itachi quirked his eyebrow but kept his eyes firmly on Keiko. "How has she been adapting?" he asked.

"Better than Naruto." Itachi did look up at him then, hearing the amusement in his younger brother's voice. "What does that mean?"

Sasuke busied himself with making the tea while he answered. "Naruto has gotten this ridiculous idea into his head that Keiko is out to get him. He's at the gym right now and I think it's because he's purposefully trying to avoid her." With his back turned, Sasuke was unaware that Keiko was slowly starting to approach his brother.

"Is that so..."

"I'll admit she isn't as close to him as I'd like her to be, but he's convinced it's a personal insult to his character."

"Um, Sasuke—"

"He even thinks she's trying to steal me away from him. Which is absurd all in its self, but I doubt giving an explanation now would do him any good anyway. You know how he is. Once he's got something in his head it's nearly impossible to change his mind." A quiet thump from behind and a faint sound of distress caught Sasuke's attention. When he turned around to investigate, the youngest Uchiha was greeted by a surprising sight.

It seemed Keiko had used the table to jump up onto his brother's shoulders and was furiously sniffing his hair. Itachi himself sat awkwardly hunched over looking more out of place than Sasuke had ever seen. "W-what is she doing?" The panic in his voice was unmistakable. Sasuke didn't know if he should feel happy that Keiko approached him or feel smug that his speculation in regards to his brother and animals was still correct. He really was weird around them. "Sasuke—why is she doing that? What does she want?" Sasuke found himself smirking as he continued making the tea, all the while listening to his brother's frantic questions. "Is this normal? Why is she rubbing me? Should I—should I move? Th-that was a claw! I definitely felt a claw just now!"

* * *

Bedtime had rolled around once again and this time Naruto was determined to take a stand. Sasuke was _his_ boyfriend and Keiko had no right to get in between them. Sure she was new and adorable, but so was Naruto, dammit! He marched out of the bathroom with this mindset and was determined to tell Keiko how it is. And if she didn't like it… well, she was their pet so there wasn't much he could do about it. Sasuke made it abundantly clear. She wasn't going anywhere.

Once again, they were sleeping in Sasuke's bed. And once again, Keiko was on the bed with them. This time, however, she was sharing a pillow with Sasuke's sleeping head. It _definitely_ wasn't cute. Keiko's head perked up as Naruto approached the bed. She looked at him and Naruto looked right back. Somehow, her stare felt different than all of the other times. She wasn't glaring at him anymore. She was just watching him, as if curious. Naruto tried to keep up his bravado, but it slowly started to deflate along with his desire to berate the animal in front of him. Keiko opened her mouth for a quick yawn before her eyes drooped with obvious exhaustion.

Naruto's shoulders slumped and he let out a low sigh as Keiko rested her head back on the pillow but kept her gaze on Naruto. "Alright, alright…" Naruto whispered with a shrug of reluctant defeat. "I guess we can share him… But that doesn't mean you win. This is a truce. Deal?" Keiko blinked once before tucking in her head and curling into a ball behind Sasuke's head. Naruto carefully climbed in on the other side as to not wake Sasuke up and slowly slipped under the covers. Since the Uchiha was sleeping on his side, Naruto scooted up behind him and wrapped his arm protectively around his middle. If Naruto had stubbornly pulled Sasuke closer against his chest, it certainly wasn't to prove a point. And Keiko certainly didn't start purring because of it.

**Author's Note:**

> As always, reviews comments and kudos are welcomed and greatly appreciated. If I still have any readers left, I'd really like to know if you're still interested. ^_^ 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! I will absolutely see you in the next chapter!


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